Background
This gene is a member of the Period family of genes and is expressed in a circadian pattern
in the suprachiasmatic nucleus, the primary circadian pacemaker in the mammalian brain.
Genes in this family encode components of the circadian rhythms of locomotor activity,
metabolism, and behavior. This gene is upregulated by CLOCK/ARNTL heterodimers but then
represses this upregulation in a feedback loop using PER/CRY heterodimers to interact with
CLOCK/ARNTL. Polymorphisms in this gene may increase the risk of getting certain cancers
and have been linked to sleep disorders
